Shantae

Let's take a little trip down memory lane, shall we? Back in 2002, WayForward released the original Shantae for the Game Boy Color. It wasn't a massive hit, but it quickly became a cult classic, and eventually lead to th...

Jun 11 //
Chris Carter[embed]293784:58947:0[/embed]
The first ever playable build of the game that's been released to the public features three levels -- a water ruins location, a desert, and an action sequence that takes place on a conveyor belt. The first two heavily feature transformations, which thankfully have returned after their absence in Pirate's Curse. For the first stage you'll have the opportunity to change into Shantae's classic monkey form, which can climb up walls and jump with ease, and on the second, she sports a crab transformation with heavy defensive capabilities. As always, her new forms are downright adorable.
Unlike Mighty No. 9, which doesn't match its great gameplay with a similarly impressive visual style (it still looks a little bland), Half-Genie Hero is gorgeously hand-drawn. In other words, it looks almost exactly like the concept art: a rarity these days. It also plays great, as the simplistic three-button system (jump, attack, and dance for transformations) works perfectly even in this early build. I dig the bright settings, platforming design, and art direction.
Get a look at two of the stages above yourself -- you'll have plenty of time to decide on whether or not to pull the trigger, as WayForward has made it clear that there is still no solid release window for Half-Genie Hero.

Three levels in Early Access
Back in 2013, WayForward crowdfunded a new project by way of Kickstarter called Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, the fourth game in the storied Shantae series. It managed to raise almost a million dollars in funding, whic...

Half-Genie Hero, the newest entry in the Shantae series, was funded on Kickstarter back in 2013. Today, WayForward released the E3 2015 trailer for the game, and it looks to be coming along quite nicely!
The trailer shows of...

Dec 16 //
Jonathan Holmes
Dtoid: Can you describe the game to people who’ve never played a Shantae game before?
Bozon: Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is the third game in the series, which began back in 2002 on the Game Boy Color. This game marks the conclusion of that story arc, but the game caters to first time players. It’s easy to go in cold and no nothing about the previous games. In a nutshell, Shantae is descended from Genies, but is half human. She guards a little fishing village named Scuttle Town from pirates, using what magic she has for various acts of heroism.
In a previous game, Shantae’s magical powers have been stolen and now she’s trying to get by without them. A villainous pirate named Risky Boots appears and makes Shantae and offer she can’t refuse, and soon the two enemies are setting sail for adventure in search of legendary powers that will save the world from Risky’s ghostly boss, the Pirate Master. The game plays a lot like Metroid or Castlevania, with Shantae whipping enemies with her long hair and locating pirate-based upgrades. Soon she’ll be firing a flintlock pistol, gliding on a giant hat, launching herself into the air on a huge cannon, stuff like that. I’ve heard it said that Shantae is like the Parodius of the Castlevania series, which kind of makes sense.
Dtoid: The first game, Shantae, was a full retail game by Capcom. The second was a download sized indie title. How long is Pirate’s Curse by comparison? Bozon: We approached Pirate’s Curse as we would any other retail game. Based on playtime, total number of dungeons and bosses, you could argue that it’s the size of the first two games combined. Think of it as a $30 retail game in terms of overall scope. Of our recent titles, it breaks down most similarly to Adventure Time: Hey Ice King Why’d You Steal our Garbage, but is roughly 20-25% longer. Most players clock in around 10 hours, not including the second mode that unlocks. Dtoid: Why release a 3DS game on Wii U rather than a fully HD version like Mighty Switch Force Hyper Drive Edition? Bozon: The decision to release Pirate’s Curse on Wii U was driven almost entirely by WayForward fans. We already have a Wii U Shantae game in development – our Kickstarter project Shantae: Half-Genie Hero. That game is made entirely from HD assets with 2D and 3D backgrounds, very similar to our previous game DuckTales: Remastered. But fans were very excited about playing Pirate’s Curse on the Wii U, and since we had already tried it with Mighty Switch Force 2, and the process was pretty straightforward, it seemed worth doing again.
It wasn’t quite as easy this time because Pirate’s Curse is a huge game by comparison, and has more involved touch screen features that had to be redesigned for off screen play.
Dtoid: What features are new in the Wii U version? Which are you most excited about?
Bozon: In addition to off TV play, we’ve added HD menus and character portraits. The character art has become well known in its own right, having been created by Inti Creates, the developer behind the Mega Man Zero series. There are around 100 HD illustrations, and they’re worth a closer look on your TV. They’re in stereoscopic 3D on 3DS, but HD here and both look incredible. We also support Wii U Pro Controller, and the Wii Classic Controller Pro. The game plays remarkably well with these controllers. But if I had to pick one feature to call my favorite, it’s the HD portraits. Dtoid: Would you call this the definitive version on the game? Bozon: Not necessarily. The game is pretty much the same. The only deciding factor is if you prefer your portrait artwork with stereoscopic embellishments, or in high resolution. Or if you prefer to play in the living room or on the go! Both versions are great!Dtoid: Why does WayForward continue to support the Wii U despite the relatively small install base?Bozon: We’ve been there supporting Nintendo with every system launch starting with the Game Boy Color. We want to be first in line to make games for these legendary platforms. Whether they reach a massive audience or not, Nintendo fans occupy an extremely loyal corner of the game industry. They like intelligent design and visually iconic characters, and they typically understand that games of high quality take time. Sure, we want our games to appear everywhere and be played by everyone, but I feel we have a real connection with Nintendo and its fans. We’re working to expand our fan base, but Nintendo fans got us here which is why we go the extra mile to serve them when we can.
Dtoid: If you could add any character to the Smash Bros roster, who would it be?Bozon: I’m supposed to say Shantae, right? Yes, I would love to play as her in Smash and I want a Shantae Amiibo. Her move set aligns nicely, since she dances to charge up her bigger moves, can get extra jumps by way of Cannon or Harpy Transformation. And she brings more girl power, and has been Nintendo exclusive since back on Game Boy. So yeah, Shantae.
But if I HAVE to choose someone else, then it’s easy. Bomberman! He’s has an enduring Nintendo legacy, comes in various colors, and his bomb-based move set would make him a blast to play.
Dtoid: Thanks Matt! It's always a pleasure.

'Nintendo fans got us here which is why we go the extra mile to serve them'
The long awaited Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is finally about to hit the Wii U. The game has been out on the 3DS for a little while now, but I've been holding out for the home console version. Wii U-specific features like...

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is a pretty great Metroidvania title that hit the 3DS earlier this year. It was a continuation of the series following Risky's Revenge, and will lead into Half-Genie Hero which hopeful...

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse hits Nintendo 3DS this week. As the third game in the series, the story follows Shantae as she loses her genie powers and learns to fight as a pirate. It'll have the same classic Metroidva...

Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse and the New 3DS aren't even out yet, but according to director Matt Bozon, the two will get along nicely. In an interview with Siliconera, Bozon stated that the game will see an updat...

WayForward is targeting a mid-October release for Shantae and the Pirate's Curse in the United States, the developer announced this week via Twitter. No word on a specific date just yet.
The studio also indicated the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS platformer will have a later arrival across Europe and Australia due to the localization and submission processes. Please understand.
WayForward [Twitter]

Before WayForward hit Kickstarter success and critical acclaim with their Shantae series, they got their feet wet on the Game Boy Color with Xtreme Sports. It was their first game on the handheld, giving it special senti...

Shantae: Risky's Revenge is a fantastic game that helped bring some life to the relatively limp DSiWare service once upon a time. It's since been released on iOS due to its popularity, and now, it's hitting the PC on July 15t...

The latest entry in the Shantae series is nearly here, and it's making its way to a 3DS or Wii U near you this summer. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is WayForward's latest successor to the excellent Shantae: Risky's Revenge...

Remember when we reported that Shantae and the Pirate's Curse for the 3DS was "almost done?" Well it appears as if it's not really all that nearly done, as WayForward has further delayed the game for a few more months.
WayForward has its hands full with this and Half-Genie Hero, the latter of which has no release in sight.
WayForward [Twitter via Nintendo Life]

If you haven't heard, there are three Shantae projects in the works by WayForward -- two new original games, and a PC port of Risky's Revenge. One of those new games, Pirate's Curse, is set to his the 3DS at some point, ...

Shantae: Risky's Revenge got a stealth update on iOS last night that allows for the use of MFi controller add-ons. The game was never impossible to play on a touch screen as it wasn't that difficult, but of course, tactile co...

Following Mighty No. 9's successful Kickstarter comes more good news, as Shantae: Half-Genie Hero's Kickstarter drive ends with more than double their original request raised. From Kickstarter the team received $776,084, plus...

[Update: The new costume and abilities Stretch Goal has been reached. Next up is the "Fire and Forget" Stretch Goal which adds a new chapter, new transformation, and new characters, like Shantae's mysterious red-headed replac...

It's been slow goings ever since the Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Kickstarter met its base goal last week, but no need to lose hope just yet! The $500K Risky Mode has been funded! As the sexy pirate villainess Risky Boots, you'll...

Although things were looking a bit iffy for WayForward's first Kickstarter, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is fully funded, and is now on their way to reach their stretch goals. As of the time of this writing $410,000 has been rais...

The Kickstarter for the Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, the HD re-imagining of the classic character for PC and consoles, is almost fully funded, though we're still pretty far away from snagging all the stretch goals. The most rece...

We all owe WayForward an apology. We haven't been paying the Kickstarter for Shantae: Half-Genie Hero much attention because Mighty No. 9 gobbled up everyone's focus. I knew weeks in advance that WayForward was planning to la...

Get to know the people that make great videogames
Last week on Sup Holmes (now on iTunes) we closed up WayForgust with Matt Bozon, Creative Director at WayForward. We talked about Matt's start in development as a college student working on the SNES title Mickey's Ultimate C...

It's been heartwarming to see gamers embrace Shantae and developer WayForward as a whole these past few years. Before fans get too lost in the Kickstarter-funded Half-Genie Hero, there's Shantae and the Pirate's Curse for the 3DS eShop, which we got to play at PAX Prime 2013.
Mash through the text, Tony. Mash it!

It's hard to believe that WayForward has been around since the early '90s, but it's true. The studio has been cracking away since the days of the Game Boy, now with over 200 licensed titles under its belt. Sadly, it has only...

The release of EarthBound on the Wii U unfortunately overshadowed the equally long-awaited arrival of WayForward's Game Boy Color gem Shantae on the 3DS. But I'm not about to sit by and allow our spunky little gal pal to be i...

Good news, everyone!
The critically acclaimed Game Boy Color gem, Shantae, was originally scheduled to release on the 3DS Virtual Console on June 20, but unsuspecting technical hiccups delayed the launch until some time this ...

The original Shantae is coming to Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console on June 20, WayForward has announced. Originally released in the dying days of the Game Boy Color, the acclaimed platformer managed to garner a pair of seque...

Remember when we told you that WayForward was actively attempting to drop the original Gameboy Color version of Shantae on the 3DS' Virtual Console? WayForward's Matt Bozon recently informed Nintendo World Report that everyth...

Genie lovers rejoice! Shantae: Risky's Revenge is making the move from the DSi to iOS later this week. Even if you are one of those terrible genie racists, you should still check this gem out. Gorgeous visuals and great music...